Looking for email marketing software for your small business, but overwhelmed by the countless email marketing platforms available in the market? Choosing the right tool can be confusing with so many options offering the same features, benefits, and pricing plans.
This guide simplifies your decision by highlighting the 11 best email marketing software options for small businesses, helping you find the perfect fit to grow your audience and boost your sales.
Short on time? Here’s a quick overview of the top email marketing tools to help you decide fast:
| Software | Rating (out of 5) | Reason for selection |
|---|---|---|
| Mailmodo | 4.8 | Unique AMP emails for interactivity at affordable SMB pricing |
| Mailchimp | 4.7 | Most intuitive platform for complete beginners |
| ConvertKit | 4.6 | Creator-focused with visual automation perfect for solopreneurs |
| Klaviyo | 4.5 | Ecommerce leader with AI-driven product recommendations |
| GetResponse | 4.5 | All-in-one solution including webinar hosting |
| MailerLite | 4.4 | Best free plan (1,000 subs) with simplest drag-and-drop interface |
| Brevo | 4.4 | Top free multi-channel option (email+SMS+WhatsApp) for startups |
| Customer.io | 4.4 | Best for real-time behavioral messaging and flexible workflow automation |
| ActiveCampaign | 4.3 | Most powerful CRM+automation combo for growing businesses |
| SendGrid | 4.2 | Developer-friendly with powerful APIs and deliverability tools |
| Mailjet | 4.1 | Best for team collaboration and multilingual support |
What is email marketing software?
An email marketing platform is a software tool that helps businesses create, send, and analyze email campaigns.
It enables building and managing email lists, designing professional emails with templates or drag-and-drop editors, automating messages based on user actions, segmenting audiences for targeted outreach, and tracking campaign performance like open and click rates.
Best email marketing software for small businesses
1. Mailmodo
Mailmodo revolutionizes email marketing by enabling AMP-powered interactive emails, allowing recipients to take action—like filling out forms, booking appointments, or completing surveys—directly within the email itself. This significantly boosts engagement and conversions by removing friction from the user journey. Designed with growing businesses in mind, Mailmodo offers a perfect balance of modern functionality and affordability.
Pricing:
Lite: $39/month
Pro: $79/month
Max: $159/month
Ease of use: The drag-and-drop email builder and straightforward dashboard make Mailmodo accessible for users of all skill levels, even beginners.
Features:
AMP for interactive emails
300+ professional templates
Behavioral automation
A/B testing
Dedicated IP options
Why it’s suitable for small businesses: Delivers enterprise-level interactive email capabilities at SMB prices.
Customer feedback and support: Users rave about the innovative features and responsive support.
Small business ranking: 4.5/5
2. Mailchimp
Mailchimp is one of the most popular email marketing platforms globally, known for its user-friendly interface and powerful automation capabilities. It offers a wide range of templates and integrations, making it an ideal choice for small businesses starting their email marketing journey.
Pricing:
Free: $0/month for up to 500 contacts
Essentials: Starting at $13/month for 500 contacts
Standard: Starting at $20/month for 500 contacts
Premium: Starting at $350/month for 10,000 contacts
Ease of use: Easy to use drag-and-drop builder with excellent documentation.
Features:
Email automation and workflows
Pre-designed templates and customization
Audience segmentation and targeting
A/B testing and campaign analytics
Integration with eCommerce platforms and CRM tools
Why it’s suitable for small businesses: Mailchimp’s free plan provides valuable features without upfront costs, and its flexibility allows businesses to grow without switching tools.
Customer feedback and support: Users praise Mailchimp’s intuitive interface and rich tutorial library. Support is available via email and live chat for paid plans.
Small business ranking: 4.7/5
3. ConvertKit
ConvertKit was built specifically for creators, with visual automation tools that turn complex sequences into simple workflows. It's where creativity meets conversion.
Pricing:
Newsletter: $0/month for up to 10,000 subscribers.
Creator: $25/month or $290/year for up to 1,000 subscribers.
Creator Pro: $50/month or $590/year for up to 1,000 subscribers.
Enterprise: Custom pricing based on subscriber volume and business needs.
Ease of use: The visual automation builder makes customer journeys easy to design and optimize.
Features:
Visual automation mapping
Customizable signup forms
Email course capabilities
Subscriber tagging system
E-commerce integrations
Why it’s suitable for small businesses: The only platform designed specifically for creators, bloggers, and solopreneurs.
Customer feedback and support: Creator community praises its focused feature set and educational resources.
Small business ranking: 4.6/5
4. Klaviyo
Klaviyo is renowned for its powerful automation and segmentation capabilities, making it a favorite in both e-commerce and B2B marketing landscapes.
Pricing:
Free: Upto 250 active profiles.
Email plan: Starting at $45/month for 15,000 emails.
Email + SMS plan: Starting at $60/month for 15,000 emails and 1,250 SMS credits.
Ease of use: Powerful but requires learning, best for businesses ready to invest in mastering it.
Features:
Advanced segmentation
Predictive analytics
Native SMS marketing
E-commerce integrations
Customizable signup forms
Why it’s suitable for small businesses: Sophisticated automation helps small e-commerce businesses compete with larger players.
Customer feedback and support: Praised for its robust features, though some find the pricing escalates quickly.
Small business ranking: 4.5/5
5. GetResponse
GetResponse is an all-in-one marketing platform providing email marketing, automation, landing pages, and webinar hosting. It targets small to medium businesses needing a comprehensive marketing toolkit beyond email alone.
Pricing:
Free: $0/month with 30-day premium trial included.
Starter: $19/month or $15.58/month if paid annually.
Marketer: $59/month or $48.38/month if paid annually.
Creator: $69/month or $56.58/month if paid annually.
Enterprise: Custom pricing based on business needs.
Ease of use: GetResponse offers an intuitive drag-and-drop email editor and easily navigable dashboard, making it approachable for beginners.
Features:
Email marketing automation and workflows
Responsive email templates
Landing page and webinar integration
Advanced segmentation and targeting
Comprehensive analytics and reporting
Why it’s suitable for small businesses: Its all-in-one capabilities help small businesses manage multiple marketing channels in a single platform, simplifying vendor management and strategy execution.
Customer feedback and support: Users value GetResponse’s rich feature set and responsive customer service via live chat and email.
Small business ranking: 4.8/5
6. MailerLite
MailerLite is the undisputed champion for small businesses seeking powerful yet simple email marketing. With its unbeatable free plan and intuitive interface, it removes all barriers to professional email campaigns.
Pricing:
Essentials: Free; limit of 500 contacts.
Premium: $350/month for 10,000 contacts.
Standard: $20/month for 500 contacts.
Best Value: $13/month for 500 contacts.
Ease of use: The most user-friendly platform with drag-and-drop simplicity that even complete beginners master within minutes.
Features:
Lightning-fast drag-and-drop editor
Automated email sequences
Beautiful landing pages
Advanced subscriber segmentation
Real-time analytics dashboard
Why it’s suitable for small businesses: Offers everything a growing business needs without complexity or hidden costs – the perfect balance of power and simplicity.
Customer feedback and support: Consistently praised for exceptional customer service and reliability across review platforms.
Small business ranking: 4.4/5
7. Brevo (Sendinblue)
Brevo is an all-in-one email marketing and CRM platform designed with ease of use, affordability, and advanced automation in mind. It offers robust features such as email campaigns, SMS & WhatsApp messaging, marketing automation, and CRM integration, making it a versatile choice for small businesses looking to grow their marketing efforts across multiple channels.
Pricing:
Free: $0/month, limited to 300 emails/day.
Starter: From $8.08/month, suitable for growing businesses.
Business: From $16.17/month, ideal for marketing managers and ecommerce pros.
Enterprise: Custom pricing, tailored solutions for large needs.
Ease of use: Clean, modern interface with logical workflow organization and helpful tooltips.
Features:
Multichannel campaign management
Marketing automation builder
Built-in CRM functionality
Transactional email capabilities
Landing page creator
Why it’s suitable for small businesses: The most generous free plan for multichannel marketing, perfect for businesses wanting to explore SMS and WhatsApp.
Customer feedback and support: Users love the constant feature updates and responsive support team.
Small business ranking: 4.4/5
8. Customer.io
Customer.io is a powerful automation platform focused on behavioral messaging. It offers robust tools for building complex workflows, triggered messages, and multichannel engagement, making it perfect for growing B2B startups with technical capacity.
Pricing: Basic plan starts at $100/month for 5,000 profiles. Enterprise pricing available for higher volumes.
Ease of use: Steeper learning curve but highly customizable for data-driven teams.
Features:
Event-based triggers and workflow automation
A/B testing and real-time analytics
SMS and push notifications
Custom data attributes and integrations
Why it’s suitable for small businesses: Ideal for B2B SaaS or product-led startups needing personalized, real-time messages based on user behavior.
Customer support: Email support, detailed documentation, and a responsive support team.
Small business ranking: 4.4/5
9. ActiveCampaign
ActiveCampaign combines email marketing, CRM, and sales automation into one powerful growth engine for ambitious small businesses.
Pricing:
Starter: Starts at $15/month.
Plus: Starts at $49/month.
Pro: Starts at $79/month.
Enterprise: Starts at $145/month.
Ease of use: Steeper learning curve but incredibly powerful once mastered.
Features:
- Visual automation builder
- Lead scoring
- Site tracking
- CRM integration
- Split automation
Why it’s suitable for small businesses: The ultimate tool for businesses serious about marketing automation.
Customer feedback and support: Users love the capabilities but note the need for training.
Small business ranking: 4.3/5
10. SendGrid
SendGrid by Twilio is a developer-friendly email platform trusted for its API-first approach and exceptional deliverability. It’s a top pick for businesses that want to deeply integrate email into their product or web infrastructure.
Pricing: Free for up to 100 emails/day. Essentials plan starts at $19.95/month.
Ease of use: Designed for developers; non-tech users may face a learning curve.
Features:
High-volume email API
Email validation tools
Deliverability analytics
Drag-and-drop Marketing Campaigns editor
Why it’s suitable for small businesses: Ideal for tech startups or apps needing transactional emails and custom email workflows via API.
Customer support: Email support for basic plans; chat and phone for higher tiers.
Small business ranking: 4.2/5
11. Mailjet
Mailjet is a collaborative email platform that enables real-time teamwork on email campaigns. It’s built with both marketers and developers in mind, offering intuitive tools and a solid API for integration.
Pricing: Free up to 6,000 emails/month. Essential plan starts at $15/month.
Ease of use: Very user-friendly with multi-user collaboration features.
Features:
- Real-time collaboration on email design
- Multilingual support
- Contact list management
- Transactional email capabilities
Why it’s suitable for small businesses: Perfect for teams who collaborate on marketing campaigns and need multilingual or international reach.
Customer support: Email and ticket-based support, with live chat available on premium plans.
Small business ranking: 4.1/5
Final Thoughts
Choosing the right email marketing software can make a huge difference in how effectively you connect with your audience and grow your business. While this guide highlights the top options tailored for small businesses, the best way to find your perfect match is to test a few yourself.
Most of these platforms offer free plans or trials; take advantage of them to explore their features, ease of use, and how well they fit your unique needs. Experimenting firsthand will give you the confidence to choose a tool that not only fits your budget but also helps you build stronger relationships with your customers.
Ready to boost your email marketing game? Start testing with Mailmodo today and watch your small business thrive!
